Ann Martin - Stacey And The Cheerleaders

"Those are all things your sisters do."

"I know!"

"Well, sisters are different from each other — different interests, different abilities. Just like other people. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, except my sisters have all the interests and abilities, and I don't have any. Shannon's a genius. She knows everything. She has so many awards, she can't even find some of them! All the teachers talk about her. It's 'Shannon this' and 'Shannon that.' Then they expect me to be the same way, and they always get so disappointed. And now Maria's

bringing home all these dumb trophies. I'm like a freak in this family. I never win awards."

Mary Anne's heart went out to Tiffany. "You sound like you feel pretty lonely."

Tiffany's lower lip quivered. Her eyes filled. "You know, Maria and I used to do stuff together all the time. I guess because Shannon's so much older, and always so busy. So we kind of stuck together. But now Maria's just as bad."

Mary Anne thought for a moment. Tiffany needed something to take her mind off her sisters. "You know what?" she said finally. "You need a hobby."

"Huh?"

"An interest of your own. Something your sisters don't necessarily do. I mean, Shannon has school, Maria has swimming — and now we have to find something for Tiffany."

Tiffany looked doubtful. "Like what?"

"That's for you to decide. I can help you make a list." Mary Anne pulled a notebook and pen out of her shoulder bag. "Say anything that pops into your mind."

"What are the most popular hobbies?"

"I guess drawing, painting, music, dance. ..."

Tiffany hopped onto the couch. "Okay. Those are good. Also, I have a friend who has about a million plants and flowers. And an-

other who collects stamps. And Wendy Kasser plays the piano."

"Whoa, slow down." Mary Anne carefully wrote down the three suggestions, then offered, "There's also tennis and bird-watching."

"Surfing!"

"Uh, maybe not this time of year. How about snow sculptures?"

The ideas kept coming. When the list grew to both sides of the page, they stopped. Tiffany held it up excitedly and said, "I'm going to start trying some right now!"

She ran through the kitchen and down to the basement. Mary Anne heard her clanking around for a few minutes.

Tiffany came upstairs with an old tennis racket, a book on photography, a blank photo album, a jigsaw puzzle, and a ratty old piano instruction book called Teaching Little Fingers to Play. She plopped everything on the living room floor.

"Wow!" Mary Anne said. She could hardly believe the change.

"I know I'll find a hobby I can beat Shannon and Maria with," Tiffany squealed. "And there's so much more stuff down there. Mary Anne, this was the best idea."

She ran out of the living room again.

Mary Anne settled back and pulled out some homework from her bag. She was thrilled. Tiffany would be occupied for awhile. More important, she, was happy.

That was a major triumph.

Chapter 10.

"Okay, let's try it again," Jessi commanded. "Chasse left, chasse right, step, kick, step, kick. Don't forget your arms, Stacey — elbows straight up, that's it, now turn, turn, pump those arms, jump . . . jump . . . split!"

I sank to the ground with a gasp. I clutched the ground for support. My right leg was bent at the knee. My hair was hanging in front of my face. The only thing I could say was, "Ugh."

It was Tuesday, one week from tryouts. I'd been practicing with Jessi every day. She had worked out a routine that looked spectacular when she demonstrated it.

The only problem was, she wasn't the one trying out. I was.

And I still wasn't getting it.

"That was almost perfect!" Jessi exclaimed. "Except for the final tableau. Remember, it's like this."

She sank into a perfect split, reaching to the sky, her head tilted back with a great big smile.

I swear that girl must have rubber bands instead of bones.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"The same way you do!" she replied. "Sta-cey, you look good, I promise. You're just thinking too much about the routine. Don't worry, you know it. Just trust your body — and smile!"

"Right." I smiled. My left leg barked at me. (Well, that's what it felt like.)

I was having second thoughts about trying out. (Can you tell?)

We worked and worked until I was ready to collapse. Needless to say, that night I slept like a rock.

The next morning, Wednesday, I literally fell out of bed. My legs did not want to uncurl. I sprawled on the floor and did long, slow, stretching exercises, just the way Jessi had taught me. After a few minutes of that, I was ready for the school day.

Believe it or not, as I walked to school I felt better than I had for a few days. Over the weekend my legs had been like Jell-O. Now they felt stronger and more solid.

Guess who was in front of school as I arrived? Robert and Marty.

They were deep in conversation, but I caught Robert's eye.

He stopped in midsentence. "Hi, Stacey!" he said.

"Hey, Stace," Marty echoed. With a mischievous smile, he added, "Well, I guess I should leave you guys alone. See you!"

He loped away from the school with long, gliding steps.

"Where's he going?" I asked.

"Emergency basketball drill," Robert replied in a flat voice.

"What?"

"Well, that was what he told his homeroom teacher, Mr. Blake." Robert shrugged. "Blake's a big fan, so he lets Marty go."

"But that's not fair."

"Yeah, I know. That's what I was trying to tell Marty."

I was shocked. But it made me think of the time Penny and Darcy had met me outside my homeroom. They had giggled about going to a "practice."

Sheila hadn't gone with them. Ms. Levine would never have fallen for that excuse. Obviously Penny and Darcy were luckier.

"I can't believe teachers let stuff like this happen," I said.

"Mm-hm. It's as much their fault as the kids'." Robert sighed and put his arm around

me. "But don't worry. Some of us are okay."

I supposed so, but I felt pretty funny about the situation. Robert had told me this kind of stuff happened. Still, seeing it was creepy.

Robert walked me to my locker. There we met Mary Anne and Logan.

"Hey, we were just talking about you," Logan exclaimed.

"Yeah?" Robert replied.

"We're going out Saturday night," Mary Anne said. "And we thought you might want to make it a double date."

I thought it was a great idea. But Robert looked a little disappointed. "Well, I was going to ask Stacey to go out with me on Friday."

"You were?" I asked.

Robert nodded. "Is it okay with you if we go out two nights in a row?"

"Yes!" I blurted out. "I accept and I accept!"

Boy, was I psyched. That evening before the BSC meeting, I really threw myself into my cheerleading practice.

That was when I had a breakthrough. I don't know how it happened. Everything just seemed to click. My kicks were sharp, my steps were on the beat, my arms were energetic. I even managed to smile through most of the routine.

"Stacey, you are going to blow their socks

off!" Jessi said. "I am serious. Socks will be flying all around you. The cheerleaders'll be running around in their bare feet. That was fantastic!"

"We're the best! Stace and Jess! Yea, team!" I shouted. I was fired up. For the first time, I knew I had a shot at making the team.

"You should preview this at the BSC meeting," Jessi suggested.

"Are you kidding?"

"No way. Aren't you proud of it?"

"Well, yeah, but ..."

"It'll be like a dress rehearsal. If you can do it well before them, you'll be great at the tryouts."

"Maybe."

"I knew you would!" Jessi exclaimed.

"I said maybe."

You know, sometimes I think Jessi is just as bad as Kristy. That evening, at "new business" time in the meeting, Jessi stood up and said, "I move we all go into the Kishis' backyard at six and watch Stacey's cheerleading routine!"